It is now February, and all of the All-Star events have concluded. Nearly every player in the draft has officially declared, and we will have the finalized draft order after the Super Bowl this Sunday. The College football season is over, and scouts now have access to all the film they will be able to get for prospects in this year’s draft cycle. I have evaluated approximately 350 prospects so far this offseason and have begun preparing my board for the combine later this month.
As I was working on this, I identified several trends, one of which is the distinction between “talented” and “valuable” prospects. Several prospects I have in the Top 10 come at positions that are not highly paid or historically drafted very high. These players are (in my opinion) the most talented players in the class, but at the same time, this does not mean I think those players should be the first two picks in the draft. This is important to note, as I am ranking these players based on who I think are the BEST, and I am placing much less stock in positional value.
This draft is one of the most unique classes in recent history, with just one cornerstone QB prospect and a lack of “blue-chip” prospects across the board. As a result, I became more aggressive in ranking highly rated prospects, as I believe the competition is less intense, especially at the top of the class. There will be plenty of movement in this draft and with my rankings as we get closer to draft day, but today, I wanted to put together my (current) full rankings of prospects in the 2026 class.
***I do not predict injuries or off-field issues as I do not have insider information on medicals or legal/personal issues for prospects***
1. Caleb Downs • Ohio State • S
2. Jeremiyah Love • Notre Dame • RB
3. David Bailey • Texas Tech • OLB
4. Peter Woods • Clemson • DT
5. Francis Mauigoa • Miami • T
6. Rueben Bain • Miami • DE
7. Sonny Styles • Ohio State • LB
8. Connor Lew • Auburn • C
9. Keionte Scott • Miami • NICKEL
10. Makai Lemon • USC • WR
11. Jordyn Tyson • Arizona State • WR
12. Arvell Reese • Ohio State • LB
13. Spencer Fano • Utah • T
14. Fernando Mendoza • Indiana • QB
15. Carnell Tate • Ohio State • WR
16. Jermod McCoy • Tennessee • CB
17. Dametrious Crownover • Texas A&M • T
18. Davison Igbinosun • Ohio State • CB
19. Chase Bisontis • Texas A&M • G
20. Caleb Banks • Florida • DT
21. Kenyon Sadiq • Oregon • TE
22. R Mason Thomas • Oklahoma • OLB
23. Olaivavega Ioane • Penn State • G
24. Mansoor Delane • LSU • CB
25. Jalon Kilgore • South Carolina • NICKEL
26. Kayden McDonald • Ohio State • DT
27. Joshua Josephs • Tennessee • OLB
28. Denzel Boston • Washington • WR
29. Jaishawn Barham • Michigan • OLB
30. Emmanuel McNeil-Warren • Toledo • S
31. Lee Hunter • Texas Tech • NT
32. Anthony Hill • Texas • LB
33. D’Angelo Ponds • Indiana • CB
34. Keldric Faulk • Auburn • DE
35. TJ Parker • Clemson • DE
36. Kadyn Proctor • Alabama • OL
37. Max Iheanachor • Arizona State • T
38. Harrold Perkins • LSU • LB
39. Kyle Louis • Pittsburgh • S/LB
40. Nadame Tucker • Western Michigan • DE
41. Christen Miller • Georgia • DT
42. Jonah Coleman • Washington • RB
43. Domonique Orange • Iowa State • DT
44. CJ Allen • Georgia • LB
45. Chris Bell • Louisville • WR
46. Mike Washington Jr • Arkansas • RB
47. Max Klare • Ohio State • TE
48. Sam Roush • Stanford • TE
49. Kaleb Elarms-Orr • TCU • LB
50. Jacob Rodriguez • Texas Tech • LB
51. Omar Cooper Jr • Indiana • WR
52. Robert Henry Jr • UTSA • RB
53. Keith Abney II • Arizona State • CB
54. Avieon Terrell • Clemson • CB
55. Akheem Mesidor • Miami • DE
56. Nolan Rucci • Penn State • T
57. Ty Simpson • Alabama • QB
58. Kamari Ramsey • USC • S
59. Reggie Virgil • Texas Tech • WR
60. Zakee Wheatley • Penn State • S
61. AJ Haulcy • LSU • S
62. Jadarian Price • Notre Dame • RB
63. Eric McAlister • TCU • WR
64. Cashius Howell • Texas A&M • OLB
65. Caleb Tiernan • Northwestern • T
66. Daylen Everette • Georgia • NICKEL
67. Zachariah Branch • Georgia • WR
68. Lorenzo Styles • Ohio State • NICKEL
69. Ted Hurst • Georgia State • WR
70. Anez Cooper • Miami • G
71. Emmanuel Pregnon • Oregon • G
72. Parker Brailsford • Alabama • C
73. Germie Bernard • Alabama • WR
74. Beau Stephens • Iowa • G
75. Chris Brazzell • Tennessee • WR
HM. Myles Rowser • Arizona State • S
Give me a shout on Twitter or in the comments to let me know what you think!!!
